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David Nield

How to Cowork Remotely With Friends—or Strangers

For reasons that we’re all aware of, working remotely from home is now far more common than it used to be. That brings with it plenty of advantages, but also a few challenges, such as the need to stay motivated and on task when there are no colleagues around and so many distractions just a click away.

To try and tackle this problem, some people are turning to strangers on the internet—strangers who will sit with them, connected over a video call, while both parties study or work or do whatever needs to be done.

It may sound like a bizarre solution at first, but it works better than you might think. It adds a low level of accountability without much additional effort. If you’re sharing your focus session with someone else, albeit silently and simply, you’re far less likely to be tempted by an afternoon nap or an hour of binge watching .

Focusmate pairs you with another user to help you focus.

Focusmate is one of the leading services in this particular field, connecting you with another user on the same service so you can get stuff done. You can get up to three free 25-minute or 50-minute sessions per week by registering an account on Focusmate, and unlimited sessions are yours for $5 a month.

All you need to do is tell Focusmate when there are free slots in your schedule, and it’ll match you with a partner plucked at random. There’s no small talk and no collaboration involved: Once you’re connected with each other, all you have to do is share the task you’re working on and then get to it.

According to internal user surveys carried out by Focusmate, 93 percent of people who’ve used the service say that it helped their productivity. Even if those users are somewhat biased, that’s still a high figure—it’s at least worth trying out for free to see whether it helps with your particular way of working.

As long as you’ve got a camera and a microphone on your device, you can use Focusmate. It works with Chrome on the desktop and on Android, and with Safari on the iPhone and the iPad. 

Life At Spaces lets you invite other people into your working space.

Life At Spaces takes a slightly different approach, and the coworking video session that works in a similar way to Focusmate is just one part of what Life At Spaces does. There are other aids to productivity included here, such as desktop spaces to manage your mood, ambient music to keep you focused, and a to-do list tool as well.

Julian Chokkattu

Brenda Stolyar

Scott Gilbertson

As far as remote working goes, there’s a way of inviting other users into your digital working space to further concentrate your mind. You don’t get any of the advanced scheduling tools or partnering technology that Focusmate offers—you need to invite someone you know—but it may work better for you.

You need a mic and camera to use the feature, and you’ll be given an email link that you can pass on to one or more coworkers as needed. It’s really up to you how you use Life At Spaces—in terms of how long the sessions are and how you use them—and there’s plenty of flexibility built into the platform.

As we’ve said, there’s lots more to explore here as well, whether that’s putting a soothing background on your laptop while you work, or using a Pomodoro timer to schedule your working sessions and your breaks. You get certain features (including 15 minutes per day of coworking video chat) for free, with a premium account costing $9 a month.

Set up your own session for yourself on Zoom.

You don’t necessarily need to sign up for a whole new service to work with other people in this way: You just need some video calling software like Microsoft Teams , Zoom , or Google Meet , and someone to work with, and you can set up the connection and the work session yourself.

Of course you miss out on the automatic scheduling features of something like Focusmate, but if you’re organizing everything yourself, then you’ve got full control over how everything runs—whether that’s the person signing up with you or how long the session lasts.

We would recommend agreeing ahead of time how much time you’re going to spend working together, and how much interaction there’s going to be—find something that works for you. Focusmate advises people to keep the small talk down to a minimum, but then again, they are putting strangers together, and you might prefer a different set of rules.

One benefit of self-organized coworking video sessions is that you won’t have to pay anything extra for them. One-to-one video calls and even group video calls are usually free for an unlimited time on most video platforms.

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Studying Together Online

Working with other students is an effective way to master challenging course material. This guide will help you work together online.

Steps to setting up an online study group

• You may prefer to study with your friends, but it turns out people often learn best when they study with people who think differently than they do. Be open to studying with people you might not otherwise hang out with.
• Larger groups are hard to manage online, keep your group to fewer than 5 people.
• Your professors may set up systems in their courses for students to work together outside of class. Start by asking your professor or TA if your course has a system for matching students into study groups.
• If there is no system in your course for matching students into study groups, use the LSC’s find study partners page .
• Decide how often you want to meet (once or twice a week is ideal). Find a time that works for everyone in your group- try to access compassion about different time zones and work schedules.
• If you change your mind about studying with other people don’t be a ghost! Let the students you’ve been in contact with know that your plans have changed so they can move forward planning without you.
• Decide how you want to meet—on Zoom or another platform. Make sure you whatever you choose allows screensharing and shared annotating, this will be key to working effectively together online.
• Find out from your professor the specific course expectations for students working together. This may be in the syllabus, if it is not, email the professor to ask. Each class has its own unique expectations, it is up to your group to ensure that you are not violating academic integrity and that you are following your professor’s guidelines for group work.

For your first meeting:

Establish group expectations/ground rules. For healthy group dynamics it is so, so helpful if you can agree on these issues before they come up: hosting duties, phone use during meetings, prioritizing agenda topics, equal participation/sharing airspace, treating each other respectfully, communication preferences and plans, and whatever other topics your group members identify as important. Unless your internet cannot support using your camera, we strongly encourage your group to agree to meet with cameras on to foster a sense of connection and accountability with each other.

It’s especially important to agree ahead of time on what you will be doing together in study group, within your course’s expectations for group work. Will you be doing homework, making study guides, reviewing confusing topics? Tip: reviewing all the lecture slides together is not a good use of everyone’s time. Reviewing specific confusing slides is a good use of time.

Consider rotating roles within your study group so that no one gets burned out. Some roles that are good to rotate include:

• hosting (setting up the online meeting space and inviting others to it)
• facilitating (leads the meeting, makes sure everyone gets to contribute)
• timekeeping
• info gathering (goes to TA or professor office hours or tutoring to clarify questions the group was not able to answer)

Group Generated Summary

This is important! After a quick check in, start each of your study sessions discussing what topics/ideas were covered in class this week. Have your course materials (book, notes, etc) handy. Students often want to jump right into homework or problem-solving, but taking just a few minutes to reflect and get an overview of what you are learning in class is invaluable for seeing the big picture and making connections among important concepts. Doing 10-15 minutes of this big picture thinking each week is like money in the bank when preparing for exams. When you do big-picture thinking with other students you can see information you might have missed and consider concepts from a different perspective.

Sample Agenda for a 1 hour meeting

• Check in-how is everyone doing? (5 minutes)
• Reminder of this week’s roles (1 minute)
• Group generated summary (10-15 minutes)
• Group members list which topics/problems they would like to work on, facilitator leads vote to decide how to prioritize (5 minutes)
• Get to work! (30 minutes, longer if this is a longer meeting—schedule in a 5 minute break for every 60 minutes you meet together online)
• Wrap up: what are your plans for next time? (5 minutes)

Frequently Asked Questions

What if you get stuck? If you find that you’re stuck on a confusing topic or problem you can go as a group to office hours or tutoring. If you find that your group could use some help working effectively together, LSC can help. Email Learning Strategies Center [email protected] and ask for a study group consultation.

What if you’re worried about members of your group? There is so much going on right now, these are truly difficult times. Cornell really is a caring community, so if you have concerns about the health or well being of one of your group members please reach out for help. Cornell Health has some great mental health resources , including a 24/7 help line.

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9 Best Online Study Room Websites & Apps (Study With Strangers & More)

Cramming for finals and doing homework solo can be lonely business. Craving some company for your study sesh? Try an online study room!

Study rooms can help you stay motivated, focused, and in the right headspace for deep work. Plus, it’s comforting knowing you’re all in the same boat when a deadline is fast approaching!

Ready to build your online study community? Scroll down for nine of the best online study websites and apps!

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• First Name First

Studyverse – Virtual Study Room

Enter the Studyverse for an otherworldly study experience! Study with strangers online and find rooms based on your grade and area of study. You’ll find dozens of bespoke study spaces, each with its own aesthetic background, ambient music, and Pomodoro set-up.

Find study buddies, send DMs, and create group chats. Or host your own online study room and collab with your friends. Maintain your study streak by viewing stats on your completed tasks, focus hours, rooms joined, and more!

Highlights and features

• Online study room app with aesthetic custom set-ups
• Personalize your room’s background, music, and Pomodoros
• Add friends, send DMs, and create group chats
• Track your study streaks, focus hours, and more to stay consistent

Go to Website

Get in the groove with thousands of fellow students with CSW Live. Create your ideal study atmosphere by adding YouTube playlists and K-pop and anime-inspired backgrounds to your homepage. Or, upload your own background for a truly bespoke experience.

Cramming for an exam? Join one of the study rooms for a distraction-free session. Taking a quick study break, or relaxing after school? Listen to music, watch videos, and more in custom rooms. It also acts as a personal workspace, complete with to-do lists and a word processor.

• Dozens of group rooms for study and relaxation
• Customize your dashboard with YouTube tunes and aesthetic backgrounds
• Manage your work with built-in to-do lists and notepad
• Add friends and DM with other students

StudyStream – Study with Strangers

StudyStream lets you build a global community of study buddies to boost focus and productivity. Start by creating an aesthetic personal workspace complete with high-def backgrounds and chill lofi study tunes .

Gamify your workload by earning perks and achievements. Link up with other students in the same field and share your experiences through DMs. Integrated Pomodoro timers and to-do lists let you complete tasks and deep work sessions directly through StudyStream.

Weekly events promoting productivity and wellness help keep StudyStream fresh and engaging. Follow your favorite students through your newsfeed, and use the FocusBuddies feature to find the perfect study partner!

• Focus Rooms for virtual audio and video ground study sessions
• Attend community events for wellness and productivity
• Customize your home workspace, complete Pomodoros and check items off your do-to list
• Motivate yourself by earning community perks and achievements

Study Together – Study & Focus Rooms

One of the most popular online study rooms, Study Together lets you chat with over a million students from around the world. Free tutors are on hand to help regardless of your major, from engineering to accountancy to health sciences.

Attend events for career advice, study tips, and mental support. Customize your personal study space during your downtime with dynamic backgrounds, timers, and more. Or, find your zen with mindfulness classes like meditation and guided breathing exercises . Track your study progress and rise up the rankings on Study Together’s leaderboards!

• Online study room app with 1 million members from 215+ countries
• Access group study rooms and tutoring for high school and college students
• Relax in your own customizable study space and partake in mindfulness exercises
• Gamify your study sessions and rise up the ranks in the Discord server

LifeAt Communities

Feeling lonely in your LifeAt virtual space? LifeAt Communities lets you join forces with other students and grind through tough tasks together. Find your perfect room, set session goals, and start your Pomodoro timer to engage in deep work.

Work with or without your camera on — whatever makes you most comfortable! Schedule co-working sessions on the “Events” page to ensure you stay committed to completing your current coursework.

• Add group study rooms to your LifeAt spaces
• Find and create tailored workspaces with aesthetic backgrounds
• Work with or without your camera on
• Check out the “Events” page to create a co-working session

Gather is one of the best ways to gamify your workday! Create an adorable pixelated avatar and wander around a virtual space with offices, desks, tables, etc. Decorate your office, join private huddles, and celebrate your wins from your virtual desk.

Bump into your fellow students and chat without having to arrange meetings. When you’re not in focus mode, put your feet up in the Rec Room and play online games like Tetris and Codenames. Gather integrates with Slack, Outlook, and Google Calendar so you can view all your tasks and convos in one vibrant workspace!

• Gamified workspace with personalized avatars
• Customize your workspace with different decorations and designs
• Join focus rooms and group huddles with or without your camera
• Integrate Google Docs, Outlook, Slack, and more

Fiveable provides invaluable resources to help you ace your AP, SAT, and ACT exams. You’ll find guides for all 38 AP exam subjects, with over 2,000 study guides and 7,000 practice questions available. You can also attend group study rooms for individual AP subjects, self-care, and Pomodoro sessions.

Is your next big exam creeping up on you? Activate “Cram Mode” for live reviews hosted by teachers, cooperative work sessions, practice question breakdowns, and much more. Achieve the best grade possible with support from students and teachers through Fiveable!

• Group study rooms and resources for AP, SAT, and ACT exams
• Covers all 38 AP exam subjects with 7,000+ practice questions
• Activate Cram Mode for live subject reviews, unlimited practice questions, and topic breakdowns

Group Study Discord Servers

Discord offers some of the best free places to study with strangers online. With a quick search, you’ll find a seemingly endless number of Discord study servers with their own unique aesthetics and features.

Join audio and video study rooms, discuss your goals, share study tips, and run aesthetic study timers . During your downtime, play games, chat with others, and practice mindfulness with your new friends and study buddies!

For more server options, check out our full round-up of the best study Discord servers !

Discord Servers:

• Flocus by Gridfiti
• Study Together
• Study Beasts

Live YouTube Stream

Find the right vibe for your study session with a live YouTube stream. Bop along 24/7 to lofi and chillhop radio stations, whether you’re working, studying, or unwinding. These live YouTube streams have a built-in chat feature to keep you company while you work to achieve your academic dreams!

YouTube Channels:

• Chillhop Music

Did we miss your favorite online study room website or app? Let us know in the comments below!

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4 ways to make remote learning better for everyone

The shift to online education is worsening inequality. These schools have lessons that could help.

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It’s 9 am on Tuesday, and at Comp Sci High in the Bronx, that means advisory. Students gather in small groups with their assigned advisers to get academic support as well as a little camaraderie.

Of course, it’s also 2020, so advisory looks a little different than it once did. Instead of sitting at desks in a classroom, the students gather on Zoom, and the first few minutes among this group of 11th graders is spent making sure everyone’s camera is on and everyone’s screen is at the correct angle. There is just enough time for someone to playfully complain that last night’s homework was too long.

Next, it’s time for the groups of eight or nine students to present their “Future Vision” projects. The advisers have asked their students to make presentations to help guide their upcoming parent conferences — complete with pastel backgrounds, inspirational quotes, or Bitmoji-style self-portraits — evaluating their progress so far and laying out their goals for the future.

The kids share their screens so everyone can see their work. One student gives herself high marks for dependability, but says she struggles with procrastination: “I need to learn how to do my work early so I don’t stress about it later.” Another says she’s actually become more responsible during quarantine. A third says his long-term goal is to “go to college and learn more about video game design because that’s my dream job.”

As they present, the other students and advisers listen and give feedback. One teacher, Sherry Mao, tells a student her slideshow could stand to be a little “zhuzhed up.” Another, Eddy Mosley, suggests that one of his advisees include some slides in Spanish, since that’s his mom’s first language.

“I know your story already,” Mosley says. “I’ve been watching you do it for two years. This is for you to explain to Mom.”

Remote learning like what’s happening at Comp Sci got a bad name this spring, with students falling behind in their classes, or in some cases being unable to attend class at all. The problems were especially acute for low-income students and students of color — one analysis of online learning data, for example, found that the move online could put the average student seven months behind academically, while the average Latinx student lost nine months and the average Black student lost 10. And some fear that with many schools at least partially remote this fall, those inequalities will only get worse.

But at Comp Sci High, a charter school and part of the Urban Assembly network in New York, teachers, administrators, and students are doing everything they can to make sure that doesn’t happen. The school serves a majority Latinx and Black student body, 84 percent of whom qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and many of the kids have experienced severe hardships this year, from food insecurity to losing family members to Covid-19.

But as was clear from Tuesday morning’s advisory, many students have also made great strides, from learning new skills to taking AP exams to working toward their chosen careers. Even in the midst of a pandemic, 73 percent of students got into paid internships or training programs this summer.

While Comp Sci students are slated to return to the building on a hybrid model later this fall, for now, their teachers and administrators — along with others around the country who have been fighting to make remote education work — have lessons for schools struggling to offer a fair, equitable, and effective education to all students during a pandemic that’s nowhere near over.

Those lessons aren’t necessarily complicated — they range from making sure families have food on the table to using small groups like advisory to foster strong relationships with students. “If there’s no physical building, then the relationships and the community are essentially all that’s left,” Comp Sci principal David Noah told Vox.

But putting such strategies into practice across the country will take direction — and money — from states and the federal government. Without that, it will be on schools, often underfunded to begin with, to meet unprecedented challenges in a time of unprecedented need.

First, make sure students have their basic needs met

At Comp Sci, the transition to remote learning in the spring started with meeting some of students’ most basic needs. With the building closed, many students lost what had once been a reliable source of food, threatening their physical and psychological health as well as their ability to focus on school.

So the school started a GoFundMe, raising about $40,000 for groceries, medical supplies, and, for a few families, funeral costs. In late March and early April, the Bronx was one of the hardest-hit parts of the hardest-hit city by Covid-19 in the country.

“We knew right away that there was going to be this tremendous need,” Noah said.

Other schools serving low-income communities did something similar. When Fannie Lou Hamer Freedom High School, also in the Bronx, shut down in March, it sent students home with bags of food and hygiene supplies, principal Jeff Palladino told Vox. And in the weeks that followed, “we were doing a lot of triaging of our community,” he said, delivering gift cards to families so they could buy groceries, and even helping them find necessities when grocery store shelves were bare.

After core needs like food came the need for internet access so students could participate in remote classes. As of 2019, 17 percent of American students lacked a computer at home, and 18 percent lacked broadband internet, with low-income families and families of color especially likely to be without these services, according to the Associated Press .

At Comp Sci High, each student already had a laptop, but connectivity was an issue. So the school worked with local cable providers and philanthropic organizations to get students access to mobile hot spots, in some cases physically dropping them off at their homes. “I would stop at kids’ houses and buzz their buzzer and leave it in the lobby,” Noah said.

Another issue was physical space. Many students at Comp Sci live in small apartments with siblings also trying to attend remote school, and they had difficulty finding a quiet place to connect to their classes and do schoolwork. “The house is full of distractions and temptation: video games, but also parents needing them to take care of three younger siblings,” Noah said.

This was a more difficult problem than a lack of devices or internet, Noah said, and the only way the school found to help students was to be “almost insane about how much we were in touch with them.”

Keeping in touch during a pandemic, over and above their normal work grading and giving lessons, takes a lot for already overstretched educators. In the spring, teachers at Comp Sci were “even more burnt out than they normally are,” from texting and talking with students at all hours of the day and night to help them do their work remotely, Noah said.

But all that texting and talking was part of a broader effort, not just to make sure students had food and internet access but also to help them stay connected to the school.

Next, build relationships

With the physical building closed and kids spread out across the city, building relationships between students and teachers became especially critical. “If they don’t feel a connection to us, then remote learning isn’t going to work very well,” Noah said.

Throughout the spring, students at Comp Sci had check-ins with their academic advisers by call or text each morning, and a more in-depth, one-on-one advising meeting three times a week. Teachers also tracked students’ work daily, so if they missed an assignment, advisers would know right away and could bring it up at the next meeting.

And this fall, Noah and others at the school designed the schedule with the need for personal connection in mind. Under the school’s planned hybrid schedule, students will alternate between days of live instruction (either remote or in-person) and days of asynchronous learning at home. But every student has advisory every morning at 9, regardless of whether they’re in the building.

Meanwhile, the school is keeping remote class size down to 10 or 11 students, even though it means less live class time. “A remote class of 30 kids is very ineffective because you can’t have one-to-one contact with each kid,” Noah said. But by keeping students in small groups, “the class time can be truly meaningful.”

Kareem Neal, who teaches special education science and social studies at a Phoenix high school serving a primarily low-income community, used a similar strategy of one-on-one check-ins when his school went remote in the spring. He spent the first two weeks after the building closed calling his students and their families, with a translator if necessary, to find out if they needed mobile hot spots or other support. “It was about improving communication as much as possible,” he said.

In the spring, Neal essentially converted his entire class into one-on-one lessons, guiding them through an online curriculum and working with them on the goals in their Individualized Education Programs (a road map that helps make sure students with disabilities receive a fair education). He has more students this fall, so he’s doing more group instruction, but the paraprofessionals he works with are still conducting one-on-one sessions with his students to make sure they get individual attention.

Overall, educators and experts say this kind of connection-building is key to making online learning work.

“One of the most important things that schools and districts can do right now is making sure that there are supportive relationships and one-on-one connections with every student, particularly those who have been historically underserved,” Justina Schlund, director of field learning at the nonprofit Casel: Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning, told Vox in an email. “We’ve heard from districts that we work with that this has been a key determinant of whether students show up for online learning — if they feel like they have a relationship with their teacher and their peers.”

Adapt, but keep standards high

Mosley is the first to admit he struggled with remote instruction at the beginning. A former aspiring comedian, “I relied heavily on my presence” to entertain and inspire students in the classroom, he said. That approach just didn’t work as well over Zoom. He and many other teachers at Comp Sci “had to change our collective mindset and approach toward what teaching was,” he said.

For Mosley, that meant lecturing less and paying more attention to his students’ interests and experiences. “One of our big shifts is just using the students as a resource,” he said. As part of one class activity, for example, kids had to talk about their favorite superheroes and villains. It turned out that “every kid loves the Joker,” Mosley said. So he used an image of the way the character of the Joker changed over time to teach a later lesson on the computer science concept of abstraction .

“Being able to show them how the anime that they love, the music that they listen to, the culture that they’ve been brought up in, how those things can have academic value and merit, and how they can be transferred into what we’re learning — that’s what computer science is all about,” Mosley said.

Sometimes, adapting to remote instruction means doing less. Instructors at Fannie Lou Hamer learned that in the spring, Palladino said. Now, going into the fall with a hybrid model in which teachers will only see kids face-to-face for a few hours a week, “you’re not going to be able to get to all the things we usually get to,” he said. So the question is, “how do you plan less and try to make it deeper?”

But even with less time for instruction, academic rigor is still important. The students at Fannie Lou Hamer need to know “that the adults in the building care about not just their emotional well-being or their physical well-being, but we also care about their intellectual prowess, and we are going to continue to give them materials and pose questions to them so they can sharpen that intellectualism,” Palladino said.

Schools like Fannie Lou Hamer have been going above and beyond to help kids. But with the pandemic heading into its seventh month, it’s increasingly clear that individual teachers and administrators can’t solve the equity problems caused by remote learning all on their own.

Schools need help, too

To close the gaps that threaten to widen across the country between low-income and higher-income students, and between white students and students of color, schools and districts need leadership from the top, educators say.

“We have an education system that is remarkably and uniquely decentralized, and in the context of this kind of pandemic, I think that that is just a recipe for furthering inequality,” Morgan Polikoff, a professor of education at the University of Southern California, told Vox. To remedy that, “states really need to play a big role.”

When it comes to instruction, that could mean putting out teaching resources that are easy for educators to download and use, Polikoff said. That way, “we at least have a good sense that students who are getting live instruction are using a curriculum that makes sense” — especially important when time for live instruction is so scarce.

States and the federal government should also be helping schools close the digital divide. “The solution is pretty straightforward,” Polikoff said. “Throw money at the problem, and buy the technology that students need.” Beyond getting hot spots and devices to all students, some have advocated for making internet access a public utility so that everyone is online, as Vox’s Emily Stewart reports .

Schools and districts may also need additional staff to make sure students are getting individualized attention if they need it. Some parts of the country have experimented with programs to give kids one-on-one help — for example, Tennessee created a tutoring corps to help students avoid summer learning loss. But so far, there’s been little talk of such programs on a national scale, and some fear that pandemic-related budget cuts will lead many districts to lay off teachers , rather than hiring more.

And nationwide solutions feel out of reach at a time when the Trump administration appears more interested in pressuring schools to open physically regardless of the risks or in punishing them for the way they teach history than in leading the way on remote education. Meanwhile, Congress has yet to approve a second federal relief package that could give school systems much-needed funds. As Polikoff put it, “Republicans don’t want to spend money on public schools.”

That leaves Comp Sci and other schools like it largely on their own when it comes to making sure their kids get the best education possible right now. But despite a lack of guidance from the top and an uncertain national situation, they — and their students — are persevering.

Even through Zoom, with internet connections cutting out and younger siblings making noise in the background, Comp Sci students’ pride in their school, and themselves, is palpable. As one sophomore put it, “through all this negativity in the world, this school’s brought a lot more positivity.”

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11 Tips for Studying with Strangers Online

I t can be tough to study with strangers, but if you are struggling with motivation or procrastination, it might help. Here are some tips for studying with people online, which will hopefully make things easier!

11 tips for studying online:

• Watch out for distractions
• If there is someone who isn’t focusing on their work, then avoid them
• Don’t do the same thing every time
• Have a good internet connection!
• Try using Google Hangouts as an alternative way to communicate
• Try sharing screens or doing screen shares
• Choose a time and place to study where you know there will be no distractions.
• If possible, meet in person first.
• Remember, not everyone knows each other, so they might be more reserved at first.
• Start off by introducing yourself in chat or whatever messaging service you choose
• If someone says no, don’t take it personally.

In this article, you will learn eleven tips for studying with strangers online. These are just some basic guidelines to follow when doing group work over Skype with strangers. We’ll go through some tips and tricks to make the experience easier.

Article Topics

The new trend: studying with strangers online.

Studying with strangers online is a new trend and a great way to get rid of your distractions to study efficiently. If you study where there will be no distractions, this might be the perfect option for you.

However, not everyone knows each other, so that they might be more reserved at first. You should always start off by introducing yourself in chat or whatever messaging service you choose, such as Skype or Whatsapp , etc.

There are some precautions to take when doing this. Don’t forget to mute yourself when you’re not talking, for example. And, always stay calm! If someone is getting under your skin, make sure not to show it.

Where Can I Study with Strangers Online?

Studying online with strangers is a growing trend.  There is no doubt that this way of studying is excellent for those who are shy or don’t want to have a similar person with them during the exam. Also, you can use online study rooms to help with language learning!

Some sites where you can study online with strangers include:

• Study Together
• Study Stream Live ; and

These sites allow you to search for people by age, language, or even exam.

Studying with strangers online is becoming more popular.  Here are some tips to help you through the process.

Watch Out for Distractions.

When studying online with strangers, you want to make sure that the person is focused on studying.  Don’t study with someone who has a habit of randomly checking their phone or chatting online, as this can cause distractions when trying to focus.

Keep distractions on your end at a minimum as well.  Make sure you’re in a quiet place where distractions won’t be an issue. Some additional steps you can take to minimize distractions are:

• Shutting off notifications for messages and other apps on your phone.
• Turning the brightness level down as low as you can tolerate, reduces distractions from outside stimuli.

Removing distractions will only help you focus, which will allow you to study more efficiently.

If There Is Someone Who Isn’t Focusing on Their Work, Then Avoid Them.

Avoid anyone who seems unable to focus when studying.  You don’t want to be distracted by their lack of attention. Make sure you’re in a quiet place where distractions won’t be an issue.

If you notice someone who is distracted by the external environment, choose someone else. You don’t want to fall victim to their lack of focus and attention as well!

Don’t Do the Same Thing Every Time

Switch between different activities (like watching a video and writing an essay) as this helps your brain learn better. 

For example, if you watch a video about French for an hour and then switch to writing your essay, this is better than just sitting there watching the same thing.

Try doing something else after 20 minutes of studying/watching videos etc. This will help avoid any boredom between activities! You can even set alarms or timers so that you don’t spend too much time on one specific activity.

It might be beneficial to give yourself some downtime before continuing onto the next task at hand, otherwise known as switching off! Take this opportunity to do:

• Stretch, or
• Something else that you find relaxing.

If it’s not possible to change tasks now and again, take breaks between each task so that your brain doesn’t get too overwhelmed with information (and go into overload).

Have a Good Internet Connection!

One of the most important things to always remember is that you should never study with bad internet! This will make the experience difficult and dampen your mood (which isn’t exactly conducive to learning).

So, considering this, try finding somewhere where there’s a good internet connection, preferably an area of your home or university library without many people around.

Try using Google Hangouts as an Alternative Way to Communicate

Google Hangouts is an excellent alternative because it is much less likely to lag than, let’s say, Skype or Facetime. This may be because Google hangouts don’t use the peer-to-peer connection for video chat. Instead, it uses a different kind of data channel based on WebRTC technology.

It has its benefits and drawbacks, but one thing is certain: if you want smooth communication online while studying with your friends, then try using google hangouts!

Try Sharing Screens or Doing Screen Shares (Check out join.me)

Sharing screens is a great way to save time and increase efficiency. This is one way, for example, that screencasts and tutorials can be made.

When studying with friends online using video chats such as Facetime or Skype, there is a possibility for many issues due to connectivity problems. Doing screen shares instead of trying video calls is a way to avoid that.

Video calls are more unstable because they use peer-to-peer connections, so if one person doesn’t connect properly, then it’s all messed up! It might seem like an extra hassle, but sharing screens is much easier than you think! Use join.me whenever possible.

Choose a Regular Time and Place to Study

Choosing a specific time and place to study is a great way to hold yourself and each other accountable. Your study buddy should do the same thing to make it fair for both of you! Make sure that you can focus and won’t be interrupted.

Before beginning an assignment, decide how long you would like to study/how many hours or days, etc. You can also plan where and when you want to meet online before getting started on the actual work.

This will be more effective than just beginning without any planning whatsoever because:

• It means that people are prepared and know what they’re supposed to do next,
• This will also help due dates become more official because there could be consequences if not completed by then.

If you can choose a regular time each time you plan on studying, it will help you to prepare and know what you need to do. Try choosing a time that works for both of your schedules; this way, you can make it part of your routine!

It’s essential to develop a schedule and talk about specific details, such as whether everyone agrees to do something else after studying. Hence, there are no hard feelings afterward. People have busy lives, so it’s best not to stress them.

If Possible, Meet in Person First

If it is possible, meet each other in person before starting the session. This is because it will be easier for both of you to understand what each other needs from this study session (e.g., do they need help with something, or can they just listen?).

Meet in person before beginning a study session; it helps everyone involved to get an idea of exactly what’s needed and how people like to function optimally while working remotely.

This way, sessions are more organized and productive!

Remember Not Everyone Knows Each Other, so They Might Be More Reserved

This doesn’t mean that they are unfriendly! Make an effort to introduce yourself politely rather than just jumping straight into asking for help. Many people could be reserved when meeting new people for the first time, so this might be more of a personal preference.

Remember, not everyone is in college or has had to take online classes before. Sometimes it can feel daunting, and you need to help them through their questions about how it all works! Be patient with people who are learning for the first time since they might have never experienced that type of environment before.

If someone seems unfamiliar with something, then remember to explain what’s going on very thoroughly. They’ll probably want to learn quickly, but if anything confuses them, make sure you don’t leave any unanswered questions hanging around.

Start off by Introducing Yourself in Chat or Whatever Messaging Service You Choose

You should start off by introducing yourself via chat or messaging apps. Then ask if anyone wants to study together before linking any documents/websites etc. This is polite because it’s assumed people will do their own work unless otherwise stated.

Introducing yourself to a stranger you’re studying with can build a rapport, and it’s a great icebreaker. It will also help make studying with them more comfortable.

If Someone Says No, Don't Take It Personally

If you’re not keen on studying with strangers, then don’t. No one will judge you for it.

If anyone doesn’t want to study together or they prefer to work alone, that’s totally fine too! No one is judging them either way, so if someone says this, just respect their decision and move on.

Studying with strangers can be a really great way to socialize and learn something new. The only downside is that you need a good internet connection. Otherwise, it starts getting frustrating. Along with a good internet connection, there are preferred ways to communicate, like Google Hangouts.

One thing about Google Hangout is that its strength lies in its many features. You can screen share with one person or several people simultaneously, so students who are studying together online really benefit from using it! Studying with strangers online can be easy, just follow these 11 tips and you’ll be set.

Online School Vs. In-Person Pros and Cons

The 10 best online cybersecurity certifications.

Luke Ocean is a writer, self-proclaimed bio-hacker, wellness advocate and yoga expert. Luke grew up on a small ranch in Montana and enlisted in the Navy to study and become a cryptologist. He later graduated from the US Naval Academy with a Minor in Mandarin and a Bachelor's of Science for General Engineering and a Major of English Literature. Luke's interests and career span multiple industries and various disciplines.  Luke resides in San Antonio and is a Certified Yoga Instructor, a student of Zen Buddhism, practitioner of Holistic Psychology and has completed his CYT-200 and is studying for his 300-hour yoga teacher training.

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It is also published in the Columbia Daily Spectator, a student newspaper at Columbia University.（ Tips and tricks for finals season ）

Published in an article（ Personalizing Ambience and Illusionary Presence: How People Use “Study with me” Videos to Create Effective Studying Environments ） by ACM (The World's Largest Computer Science Society).

Latest information

ZOOM rule changes have limited one-on-one meetings to 40 minutes, but this does not affect the site's unlimited ZOOM focus room.

The one-on-one self-study matching on our site has no effect because it substitutes Google Meet and Discord.

In addition, some participants reconnected in 40 minutes and continue to use ZOOM. (Example: 40 minutes focus → 5 minutes break → 40 minutes focus)

FREE PREMIUM FOCUS ROOM

It's an unprecedented boom, but if it gets too big, it can have a negative effect. The mutual monitoring effect is reduced, making it easier to get out of the room.

Also, in a study streaming room of 1000 people in ZOOM meeting, the implicit mutual monitoring effect such as "that person is always there" is reduced. The correct answer is to operate focus room on an appropriate scale.

Therefore, we recommend creating a Free Premium Focus Room with unique characteristics.

You can even create your own focus room with strangers from around the world, and if there is demand, we will create a free premium focus room introduction page for everyone. If it's free, Google Meet, Discord,Whereby, etc.

If you want to create an unlimited ZOOM room, get the paid link for ZOOM.

Is the era of ZOOM links sharing coming? If you have a strong interest in ZOOM, you can also propose to other participants to jointly purchase the ZOOM links. (Split bill app Venmo etc.)

We are always looking for a new free premium focus room.

Ultimate Mutual Surveillance System 1v1

This is the main group chat on this site. Unlike the group self-study room, the force is further strengthened.

The world's largest virtual study room on zoom

Status of participating countries.

Promising people from all over the world are gathering in this virtual study room.

Spreading all over the world mainly with TikTok!

Latest entry information for rivals and self-study buddies

Rivals from all over the world enter the room every day! Delivered daily on Twitter!

Find people with the same school and qualifications and work hard at home!

‎Characteristics of this Virtual Study Room.

I will not lose to rivals all over the world

Top class members from the University of Tokyo, medical school entrance exams, difficult qualification exams, etc. are gathered from all over the country. There are rivals here who can never lose.

BRAIN SCIENCE AND PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF THE VIRTUAL STUDY ROOM

Comparison between the Online Study Room and others

Mastering the online study room will maximize your total available study time. Moreover, due to the current circumstances, it is 100% safe for infectious disease control, so it is a relieved environment. You can reduce various expenses associated with going out and have a very economical examination life. And it will open the door to a cost-effective life!

Study hard now and get them below!

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2. Join video call

Greet your partner, share your session goals and get to work!

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Introversion

How introverts can survive and thrive on zoom, the bonding power of digital friendships..

Posted May 10, 2020 | Reviewed by Kaja Perina

• What Is Introversion?
• Find a therapist near me

We all know homebodies and private people who are delighted with the extent to which professional meetings, as well as social gatherings, have moved online. Many people on the shy side prefer to avoid large, crowded gatherings, finding them overwhelming and draining. Truth be told, many of the rest of us feel the same way. This is also true when it comes to virtual gatherings. Yet in the sense that they have features in common with other social networking sites, virtual social platforms like Zoom may offer a greater benefit to introverts , than extraverts.

No Wallflowers on Zoom

If you are an introvert, it is hard enough to convince you to go out and socialize after a long day of work, when it means going out somewhere and interacting with a group of strangers. Ironically, it can be even more daunting to ask you to join a group of strangers in a Zoom room where everyone is on stage, in the spotlight, at the same time. There is no corner to stand in, no hallway to step out into for a break. There are no wallflowers—because there are no walls. Everyone is face-to-face.

Now add to that dynamic, the new standards of online sharing. In the midst of a pandemic, we are advised to keep to ourselves; but only physically. Zoom meetings, particularly when the theme is social as opposed to professional, usually involve participants being questioned in front of everyone else. Every new arrival is grilled as the bell rings and they appear on the screen, about everything from their screen name, to their appearance (or lack thereof if they have their video muted), to their background. Unless the host assigns break out rooms, even seemingly innocuous questions can make shy users feel like they are in the hot seat.

But here is some good news. Research indicates that at least for introverts, virtual interaction on social networking sites may assist in building rapport and trust that can translate into offline relationships.

Safety in Social Networking

In “#Connected: Facebook May Facilitate Face-to-Face Relationships for Introverts,” Alexander Spradlin et al. (2019) examined the relationship between social networking and face-to-face relationships.[i] They begin by noting that some research suggests that social networking sites (SNSs) increase face-to-face interaction. Investigating this link through conducting an online survey with 855 student participants, they discovered that the use of Facebook was correlated with increased face-to-face communication—a relationship moderated by extraversion .

Here is the interesting twist. Spradlin et al. found that “the relationship between Facebook use and face-to-face communication was significant for individuals with low to moderate levels of extraversion (i.e., introverts) only.” This association decreased as extraversion increased. They conclude that Facebook, as well as other SNSs, might benefit introverts by allowing them to develop rapport and build trust “in a less threatening social environment that, in turn, makes them more comfortable engaging in face-to-face communication.”

While the authors acknowledge that more research in this area is necessary to understand the mechanics behind this relationship, they nonetheless note that Facebook may benefit relationship development by connecting people “in the real world.”

Although Zoom is different than Facebook, the opportunity to interact virtually, from a distance, both verbally and using the chat feature, may allow introverts to build relationships slowly through the same mechanisms, by developing rapport and trust in a less threatening social environment.

The level of virtual comfort can be enhanced even further through carefully selecting social events.

The Company You Keep

Introverts do not change their stripes when they go online. So for introverts venturing cautiously into the virtual mix, knowing there are opportunities to build relationships slowly can mentally ease the transition. But it depends on the company they keep.

Virtual events centered on common interests, such as travel, learning a new language, or other areas of commonality are a good match for introverts seeking to expand their social circle. Zoom meetings focused purely on socializing are probably not. And those who are shy will want to check on expected format, including whether there will be break out rooms, as well as expected number of attendees—information most Zoom hosts are happy to provide.

By selectively exercising discernment (as we all should) in creating our virtual social calendar, introverts can successfully socialize and thrive online.

[i] Spradlin, Alexander, Carrie Cuttler, John P. Bunce, and L. Mark Carrier. “#Connected: Facebook May Facilitate Face-to-Face Relationships for Introverts.” Psychology of Popular Media Culture 8, no. 1 (January 2019): 34–40. doi:10.1037/ppm0000162.

Wendy L. Patrick, J.D., Ph.D., is a career trial attorney, behavioral analyst, author of Red Flags , and co-author of Reading People .

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Finding study partners shouldn't be harder than the class you're studying for.

Join 150+ Cal students looking for studybuddies.

Be more productive.

When you study with strangers, you're distracted less and more productive than when studying with friends.

Spend time studying, not searching

With Studybuddy, you don't have to waste time searching blindly for people who want to study together

Get homework help

Work with people who are taking the same classes, and get your questions answered working your peers.

Start looking for a study partner for that upcoming midterm in just a few minutes.

See other classmates from your course looking for study partners, and study groups and reach out easily without giving out personal contact information.

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Studybuddy is built by a team of two Cal students, Linus and Divyansh, studying computer science and economics. Feel free to get in touch!

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The community crosses the Discord barriers: Students can now join the study rooms directly on the Study Together website. Its members are in 160 countries around the world and in all continents - except for Antarctica 🥶.

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The focus of this project is on researching and developing innovative elements that make the previous flashcard application a pioneer in the field of digital learning. After completion of the project, the technology can be introduced to anyone who learns with flashcards (e.g. school children or adults in the field of advanced training / part-time studies / remote learning).

Joining a Zoom meeting anonymously

When joining a Zoom meeting, participants may want to join anonymously, restricting the amount of information available to other participants. This can be for personal privacy when joining public events, or when joining meetings for things like alcoholics (addiction) anonymous mental health group-based scenarios.

Note : A host can require authentication when participants join a meeting or require registration to join a meeting . Hosts can also remove a participant from a meeting, if they require users to have their video on, or do not recognize the participant’s chosen name in the meeting.

This article covers:

• Hiding your video

Disable video before joining a meeting

Disable video when joining a meeting.

• Using Virtual Backgrounds
• Joining with a guest name

Set your name before joining a meeting

Set your name when joining, rename yourself during a meeting, how to hide your video.

When joining a Zoom meeting, disabling your video is one of the best ways to ensure your privacy when joining a meeting. 

Participants can set the default video state when joining a meeting from within the settings of their Zoom client. If you prefer to not have your camera when joining a meeting, this can be disabled within the video settings of the Zoom client .

Note : If you want to choose if your video is on or off when joining a meeting, the video preview dialog box feature can also be enabled as well.

Windows | macOS | Linux

• Open the Zoom desktop client.
• Click Join a Meeting .
• Enter the ID number of the meeting you are joining.
• Enter the name you want displayed in the meeting.
• Enable Turn off my video .
• Click Join .

Android | iOS

• Open the Zoom mobile app.
• Tap Join a Meeting .

Note : The meeting host must enable Show a "Join from your browser" link for their participants.

• Locate the meeting invite link from your email or calendar invitation.
• Click the join link to join the meeting. On your web browser, a pop-up window will prompt you to open or download the application.
• In the pop-up window, click Cancel .
• At the bottom of the page, click join from your browser . You will be directed to a new page.
• Click Allow to allow Zoom permission for your microphone and camera.
• Enter the name you want to use to join the meeting.
• (Optional) Select the  Remember my name for future meetings checkbox.
• In the video preview window, click Stop Video .

Using Virtual Backgrounds for added privacy

Virtual Backgrounds can be a great way to hide your surroundings if you are joining the meeting from a place with sensitive information, or if you want to minimize the view of your surroundings in general.

How to join with a guest name

If you have not joined a meeting yet, you will need to either join a test meeting and set your name when joining the test meeting, or create a Zoom account and set your display name in your Profile . This can be useful if you want to join a Zoom meeting with a different name. 

Note : If you are setting your display name in your Profile, then you will need to sign into the Zoom Client before joining a meeting, to ensure the correct display name is used. 

• Enter the name you want to be displayed in the meeting.
• (Optional) Enable Remember my name for future meetings .

While in a meeting, your display name can be changed while in a meeting, allowing you to have a different display name from when you joined.

Note : The host must allow participants to rename themselves , to be able to change their display name while in a meeting.

 To change your display name:

• In the meeting controls, click Participants .
• Hover over your name, and click More . 
• Click Rename .
• In the dialog box, enter your new display name.